Wishes for Winky - Winky's Bucket List for Healing
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"My sunshine doesn't come from the skies. It comes from the love that's in my dogs eyes." ~ Unknown
Winky the One Eyed Wonder is an 18 year old dog that I rescued as a Senior Special Needs dog when she was about ten years old. Yes, you read that right, 18 years old! However, there was nothing "wonder"ful about the first ten years of Winky's life.
Winky was a breeding dog, likely in a puppy mill, who was abused, neglected, and bred over and over for ten years, then she was left in the night box at the Denver Dumb Friends' League, a shelter in Denver. I first fostered Winky and rehabbed her through two ACL surgeries on both her back legs. It was during this time that I fell in love with Winky. Then, after signing five medical releases, I adopted Winky in January 2012, and we began her new life together.
My goal for Winky was to meet one to one the ten years of abuse she suffered with ten years of unconditional Love. So far we've had eight great years together. During those eight years, she had several surgeries (which you can read more about below) and more recently, Winky was diagnosed with an advanced cancer in March, 2018. Although her quality of life is still strong, I know our time together is limited, which is why the time for her bucket list trip is now!
I want to reward Winky's tenacity, persistence, and toughness with a bucket list trip to honor our unconditional love. I want to make her last months the best ever. I especially want to take her to the ocean, so she can experience the sea, the beach, the sand on her feet, the smell / scent of the ocean and the healing that comes with being in and near the water. I then want to take her to the old growth forests. We live in a landlocked state, so a trip that may be easy for some is no small feat for us. In addition to our geographical disadvantage, ours is a one human, one income household. I struggle every month to meet ongoing medication, vet care costs, and now a very costly feeding protocol.
I willingly and lovingly sacrifice for Winky's well being and care and the care of my other two rescue dogs, LittleJack (10) and Chloe (5). I often say, "Her comfort is my job." I long for Winky to experience these healing places, but we need help to do this. Currently, I am writing a Childrens' book to educate people about senior dog adoption and rescue, and this trip would be the follow up book. Please help make Winky's Bucket List trip a reality. Any amount you can spare is greatly appreciated and will help me share in a once in a lifetime experience for my once in a lifetime soul dog.
More about Winky's surgeries and diagnosis...
Winky has endured five surgeries over the eight years I've had her, including a huge dental when she was 14 years old in 2015. She swallowed a fishing line near a local lake, and had to be put under to have it removed. That surgery was filmed by the producers of an Animal Planet series featuring a local vet here in Denver, Dr. Jeff Rocky Mountain Vet. It was part of the "sizzle reel" that sold the series to the Discovery Channel.
Winky has multiple chronic conditions. She has heart disease - specifically a level four heart murmur and enlarged heart. She has chronic bronchitis and takes blood pressure medication. All of these are well managed under the care of an incredible Veterinary Cardiologist. Winky takes five medications and lots of supplements each day. Her medication costs are $350 a month.
Winky's cardiologist approved her for flight travel, and I got her certified as an ESA, so she can fly lap held without extra cost.
The Cancer Discovery;
Dogs like Winky who aren't spayed before age six have a 50/50 chance of getting mammary tumors, and of those, fifty percent are cancerous. Sure enough in early 2018, we found a small cluster of mammary tumors on Winky's abdomen. In preparation to remove them, many diagnostics were done, i.e., x-rays and blood work, etc. All showed clear and that even with her advanced age and compromised heart, she was approved for anesthesia to remove them.
As a final test, an abdominal and cervical ultrasound was done. That ultrasound saved her life, because an advanced cancerous tumor was found on Winky's adrenal gland that had grown into her adrenal artery. If we hadn't done that ultrasound, she likely would have died on the operating table, and they wouldn't have known why. Adrenal tumors interfere with anesthesia. They cancelled the surgery, and passed her back to me, suggesting we live every day to the fullest until she lets me know it’s time to go.
Well, we do, and I still have Winky with me a year and a half after her cancer diagnosis! She's an old lady survivor! We made immediate changes after that news. I added CBD oil and put her on an anti-cancer feeding protocol. In March of this year, the same radiologist did a one year re-test abdominal ultrasound and found that the tumor was EXACTLY the same size as the year before - it hadn't grown at all! That means our feeding and supplement protocol are working!
Here is what caring means to me;
1. A Daily Prioritized Commitment.
2. Sacrificing for the well being of the pet.
3. Never wavering, I.e., showing up in hundreds of small ways every single day for that pet’s life.
4. Being Grateful for the Love you give and the Unconditional Love you receive in return.
5. Finding Joy in the Knowing that you’ve done Everything in Your Power to make another’s Life Better.
Thank you for reading, sharing, and caring. With Love and Gratitude, Camille, Winky, LittleJack, and Chloe
#savealife #rescue #adopt #seniorspecialneeds #nomorecancer #cancersurvivor #healing #halfmoonbay #oneeyeddog #18andgoiongstrong #126 #MakeADogsDay #naturehealing #WinkytheOneEyedWonder
You can see more about Winky's life and journey here; www.instagram.com/WinkytheOneEyedWonder
Winky the One Eyed Wonder is an 18 year old dog that I rescued as a Senior Special Needs dog when she was about ten years old. Yes, you read that right, 18 years old! However, there was nothing "wonder"ful about the first ten years of Winky's life.
Winky was a breeding dog, likely in a puppy mill, who was abused, neglected, and bred over and over for ten years, then she was left in the night box at the Denver Dumb Friends' League, a shelter in Denver. I first fostered Winky and rehabbed her through two ACL surgeries on both her back legs. It was during this time that I fell in love with Winky. Then, after signing five medical releases, I adopted Winky in January 2012, and we began her new life together.
My goal for Winky was to meet one to one the ten years of abuse she suffered with ten years of unconditional Love. So far we've had eight great years together. During those eight years, she had several surgeries (which you can read more about below) and more recently, Winky was diagnosed with an advanced cancer in March, 2018. Although her quality of life is still strong, I know our time together is limited, which is why the time for her bucket list trip is now!
I want to reward Winky's tenacity, persistence, and toughness with a bucket list trip to honor our unconditional love. I want to make her last months the best ever. I especially want to take her to the ocean, so she can experience the sea, the beach, the sand on her feet, the smell / scent of the ocean and the healing that comes with being in and near the water. I then want to take her to the old growth forests. We live in a landlocked state, so a trip that may be easy for some is no small feat for us. In addition to our geographical disadvantage, ours is a one human, one income household. I struggle every month to meet ongoing medication, vet care costs, and now a very costly feeding protocol.
I willingly and lovingly sacrifice for Winky's well being and care and the care of my other two rescue dogs, LittleJack (10) and Chloe (5). I often say, "Her comfort is my job." I long for Winky to experience these healing places, but we need help to do this. Currently, I am writing a Childrens' book to educate people about senior dog adoption and rescue, and this trip would be the follow up book. Please help make Winky's Bucket List trip a reality. Any amount you can spare is greatly appreciated and will help me share in a once in a lifetime experience for my once in a lifetime soul dog.
More about Winky's surgeries and diagnosis...
Winky has endured five surgeries over the eight years I've had her, including a huge dental when she was 14 years old in 2015. She swallowed a fishing line near a local lake, and had to be put under to have it removed. That surgery was filmed by the producers of an Animal Planet series featuring a local vet here in Denver, Dr. Jeff Rocky Mountain Vet. It was part of the "sizzle reel" that sold the series to the Discovery Channel.
Winky has multiple chronic conditions. She has heart disease - specifically a level four heart murmur and enlarged heart. She has chronic bronchitis and takes blood pressure medication. All of these are well managed under the care of an incredible Veterinary Cardiologist. Winky takes five medications and lots of supplements each day. Her medication costs are $350 a month.
Winky's cardiologist approved her for flight travel, and I got her certified as an ESA, so she can fly lap held without extra cost.
The Cancer Discovery;
Dogs like Winky who aren't spayed before age six have a 50/50 chance of getting mammary tumors, and of those, fifty percent are cancerous. Sure enough in early 2018, we found a small cluster of mammary tumors on Winky's abdomen. In preparation to remove them, many diagnostics were done, i.e., x-rays and blood work, etc. All showed clear and that even with her advanced age and compromised heart, she was approved for anesthesia to remove them.
As a final test, an abdominal and cervical ultrasound was done. That ultrasound saved her life, because an advanced cancerous tumor was found on Winky's adrenal gland that had grown into her adrenal artery. If we hadn't done that ultrasound, she likely would have died on the operating table, and they wouldn't have known why. Adrenal tumors interfere with anesthesia. They cancelled the surgery, and passed her back to me, suggesting we live every day to the fullest until she lets me know it’s time to go.
Well, we do, and I still have Winky with me a year and a half after her cancer diagnosis! She's an old lady survivor! We made immediate changes after that news. I added CBD oil and put her on an anti-cancer feeding protocol. In March of this year, the same radiologist did a one year re-test abdominal ultrasound and found that the tumor was EXACTLY the same size as the year before - it hadn't grown at all! That means our feeding and supplement protocol are working!
Here is what caring means to me;
1. A Daily Prioritized Commitment.
2. Sacrificing for the well being of the pet.
3. Never wavering, I.e., showing up in hundreds of small ways every single day for that pet’s life.
4. Being Grateful for the Love you give and the Unconditional Love you receive in return.
5. Finding Joy in the Knowing that you’ve done Everything in Your Power to make another’s Life Better.
Thank you for reading, sharing, and caring. With Love and Gratitude, Camille, Winky, LittleJack, and Chloe
#savealife #rescue #adopt #seniorspecialneeds #nomorecancer #cancersurvivor #healing #halfmoonbay #oneeyeddog #18andgoiongstrong #126 #MakeADogsDay #naturehealing #WinkytheOneEyedWonder
You can see more about Winky's life and journey here; www.instagram.com/WinkytheOneEyedWonder
Organizer
Camille Roth
Organizer
Englewood, CO